Influenza or “the flu” as it is commonly named includes various symptoms such as coughing. Flu germs spread from person to person by ways of coughing or sneezing. Similarly, other germs may be spread in the same way.
To prevent the spread of germs, one's mouth and nose should be covered with a tissue. Of course, tissues are not always readily available when one needs to cough or sneeze. Another approach which may be used when tissue is not available to cough or sneeze into one's upper arm, elbow, or shoulder and not the hands. Doing so avoids coughing directly into the hands, but any pathogens may still be later transferred to the hands, or otherwise conveyed to others. In addition doing so may allow more germs to spread in the air to others.
The problems relating to spreading germs through coughing or sneezing is further amplified in the case of children who may be less likely to use tissue and less likely to cough or sneeze into their upper arm. Children may be inclined to cough or sneeze into their hands. Once the germs on their hands, this promotes the spread of germs unless the hands are immediately cleaned which does not necessarily happen. Thus, the spread of germs or other disease can occur quickly between children at school, at day care, or in other settings. Similar issues can occur in other settings as well, such as nursing homes, where elderly are susceptible to germs or in confined areas with large numbers of people, such as airplanes.
What is needed is an improved way of capturing coughs and neutralizing germs or other antigens.